PrintIf you or your child with attention deficit disorder (ADD ADHD) finds it too easy to lose track of time when engrossed in a favorite pursuit, you might benefit from some technological assistance. Michael Sandler, director of The Creative Learning Institute in Boulder, Colorado, suggests looking into the products below.
Alarm watches
These wristwatches can be programmed to generate multiple alerts. The 6-Alarm Vibrating AD/HD Timer Watch ($99.95) gives audible alarms, while the WatchMinder Training and Reminder System for AD/HD ($69.00) vibrates and shows text messages.
Digital Reminders
Many calendar programs, including the one bundled with Microsoft Outlook, can be set to generate a visual or audible alert (or even an e-mail). Most smartphones and tablets include calendar reminders and alarms, and many apps are available for extra help. Check out BugMe! ($1.99) for Apple products.
Kitchen timers
The latest models, available in digital and analog versions, are a far cry from the twist-and-set devices of old, and often cost only a few dollars. The Tel-Timer ($11.75) features a voice that periodically announces how much time is left.
Visual timers
These devices turn passing time into a visual image, making it more "real." The Time Tracker Visual Timer and Clock ($39.99) for children is a 24-hour "traffic light" timer that can be programmed to shift from green to amber to red. The Time Timer ($30.00) is a 60-minute timer whose clock face turns from red to white as the minute hand counts down.
NOTE: This article was last updated in June 2013.
Know of another product that helps keep hyperfocus in check? Let us know in the ADHD Product Reviews group on ADDConnect.
